Green exercise, mental health symptoms, and state lockdown policies: A longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT: Lockdown policies aimed at decreasing the transmission of COVID-19 showed unintended mental health consequences; however, natural settings may offer a respite for individuals suffering from depression or anxiety symptoms. Previous cross-sectional literature reports protective effects of outdoor exposure on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. We longitudinally assess whether green exercise corresponded with a decline in adverse mental health symptoms, controlling for state lockdown policies. We also examine whether the relation differed by state lockdown status. As our exposure variable, we specificized participation in an outdoor walk, jog, or hike (green exercise). We used, as the outcome variable, the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) to measure anxiety and depression s

SUBMITTER: Das A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9281454 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature